HIPAA Blog

[ Wednesday, July 07, 2010 ]

Totally, totally off-topic: But this is way too funny. Westboro Baptist Church is a radical Kansas church led by Fred Phelps that protests at completely inappropriate places, like funerals for soldiers, with signs that say things like "God hates fags." Apparently, they think the reason American soldiers die in Iraq and Afghanistan is because America doesn't outlaw homosexual behavior. Or something.

It's an interesting law-school-exam situation of the appropriate limits of free speech. The WBC people have a right to say those things, just as others have a right to say they are nuts/bigots/whatever. But do they have the right to say what they're saying when and where they're saying it? Even if they have the legal right, should they (that's not a legal question, though).

Back during the Bush administration, there was a group called "Protest Warriors" who would counter-protest the anti-war protests with clever signs that said things like, "except for ending slavery, fascism, and communism, WAR NEVER SOLVED ANYTHING" (with the first part in small print). Basically hoisted the protesters on their own petards, mainly with funny signs. They wouldn't engage the protestors, just snidely made fun of them.